Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-31
RAMsLEs ABOUT EUROPE.
From England to Egypt Especially for
the Eagle.
NO. XIX.
ROME, Italy, Aug. 10, 1887.

| ROME, Italy, Aug. 10, 1887.
If my recollection Is not at fault, con
cluded my last letter with our arrival q
Heidelberg, Germany. The great uniyer
sity located in this city has perhaps made
its name more familiar to American ear
than many larger and more otherwise i'm
portant cities of the continent, but esid,
from its educational characteristics Heidel
berg possesses many features dear to tht
heart of the tourist. In the first place it
origin dates back to the Roman period an6
coming up through successive eras Of
reace and warfare, now In the possession
Of one dominsuh power and again in an
other, has suffered perhaps as much as any
city In existence. 1t lies in the narrow
valley of the Neckar and the mountains
seem to hem it In completely. Besides the
great university there are two or three
other schools, and normal school some
what on the plan of our state university,
but admitting only females designing to
prepare themselves for teaching. Much
has been said about the time honored Gus
tom in the university Of Heidelberg of re-
senting the slightest insultor fancied insult
by resort to the duel by sword, and If the
SCARED and disfgured countenances of at
least large proportion of the students we
met On the streets is not misinterpreted,
the custom still prevails. am
told that this high toned
species of mutilation is performed
at the Gymnasium, where along with other
athletic exercises that of handling the
dueling sword with ease, grace and pre-
clsion is taught as fine art. This institu-
ton is not connected with the university,
though almost exclusively patronized by
its students. The university was founded
in 1886 and its course of lectures are
attended by more than 800 students from
nearly all parts Of the civilized world. The
great attraction which Heidelberg possesses
for tourists is confined more particularly to
the old castle than perhaps all other OBJ
jects combined. 1t is huge pile of ma
sonry, standing on rocky declivity over
looking the city, some $50 feet above the
Neckar and was founded in 1894, but i'm
proved from time to time by kings and
electors, until 1t looked more like a strong
fortress with high turrets and stone bas-
tons than a simple castle. 1t requires con-
siderable leg muscle to explore its numer-
Gus halls, chambers, chapel, end towers,
but one feels well repaid for euy excessive
demand on their strength, for this is the
grendest ruin in all Germany, and no
where else have I seen any, which for
magnitude and architectural beauty, will
compare with it. The extensive wine
cellars are one of its leading features, and
here is the great tuna huge wooden cask
with capacity of three hundred thousand
bottles of wine. This, of course, is dead
give away on the drinking prorensities of
royalty 500 years ago. In 1889 the French
in retreat blew up portion of the castle
and seventy-fve years later a thunder
bolt completed the work of destruction.
We missed the morning train for Munich
end loitered around until afternoon, which
occasioned stopover of six hours at
Wirzburg and compelled US to take the
train little after midnight and ride until
8 o'clock next morning Our car had two
compartments, into one of which The gen.
tlemen were crowded to sit out the journey,
whilst the ladies Jared no better in the
other. For my part watched my chance
when all seemed to be in the land of Nod;
then I slipr-d from my cramped position
on the seat to one of ease on the floor, and
with fellow travellers grip for pillow,
managed to pass away the night in partial
On awaking in the morning before sunrise
noticed the peasants already in the fields
The patches in cultivation bore a resem.
blance to the agriculture of Belgium, and
the blowing end reaping, as well as other
mental work, seemed to be performed
largely by the peasant women. The sober
colored houses Of North Germany had
given way to those almost uniformly paint
ID or washed white The church spires
we're less pretentious and usually of the
seen in European countries on
he Jewish synagogues, resembling an in
7erted balloon. In the dim distance
against the sky could be discerned the Alps, |
md the cool wind that blew from its gla-
Tiers, even at this early hour, was none too |
,hilly. 1t was tired, woe begone looking |
party of Cookies" that were set down |
n time for breakfast at the hotel in |
Munich, where we were to spend three
lays. Dissipation of this kind is not con-
lucive to good looks, but few hours on a |
comfortable bed with the mountain breeze
tealing in at the open windows, lulled us
the ladies mean into "beauty Sleep"
md at luncheon each one came up to the |
able smiling and apparently none the
worse for that long, dreary night journey |
trough Bavaria.
Munich is city of nearly 800, 600 inhab-
tants situated on the Isar, a tributary of |
be Danube. The river is narrow and |
wifi, calling to mind the Hohenlinden of
'itz' Green Halleck, SO familiar to all |
chool boys, ''the Isar rolling rapidly
here are more points of interest here than |
an he written up at one sitting and do the /
ubject justice, hence suppose will be
nder the necessity of sliphtinp the record |